Bend the Arc: Jewish Action

Highlights from Looking to 2023 and Beyond:
A National Bend the Arc Call

Friend,

On Sunday, Bend the Arc hosted a powerful conversation about why and how we’re building a Jewish movement for collective safety and liberation.

It was an inspiring evening, filled with love, hope, and sharp analysis from our new CEO, Bend the Arc staff, and board leadership.

Below are some of our favorite quotes and learnings from the call — plus keep an eye out for short video clips next week as we celebrate Hanukkah:

Antisemitism, anti-Black racism, misogyny, transphobia — all of

these oppressions’ purpose is to divide us from each other and prevent

us from building power. And the way we fight back against that is by

telling stories to each other about who we are. Ginna Green, Board

Co-Chair and Partner at Uprise

$We are Jews right now who are wrestling with what it means to be in this time. What it meant in 2014, to watch Jews come into the streets to say kaddish for Mike Brown. What it meant to be saying, in 2015 and 2016, \$

If we believe that [elections] are the only time we’re required

to be in those relationships and be doing this work, then we will

continue to watch the America unfolding before us. Building people

power to span election cycles is critical for us to move beyond

believing that politicians are going to fix things for us. Rachèl

Laforest, Chief Programs Officer

We’re in this moment of evolution where we’re really

understanding ourselves as a community that has a stake in this fight,

yes, because of antisemitism, but also because of every single other

thing that we’ve named, because our community makes up all the

identities that every other movement makes up. Jamie Beran, CEO

We are fighting for a future and a vision for collective

community safety that we all deserve and need, not only to survive,

but to thrive. We know that Black leadership, particularly that of

Black Jews in our community and the BREATHE Act will allow us to get

there. Enzi Tanner, National Organizer

After the discussion, we also shared a special new Hanukkah offering: a text study, ritual, and conversation guide featuring The BREATHE Act, the visionary legislative framework introduced by the Movement for Black Lives in 2020, which calls for the divestment of our taxpayer dollars from policing and invests in a new vision of public safety.

Download Bend the Arc’s 2022 Hanukkah text study now. Please use this guide to help ground your rituals and have conversations with others about the enclosed Jewish texts, the BREATHE Act, and the possibility offered for our future.

Together, we’re building Jewish political power to dismantle white supremacy, achieve Black liberation, and build a country where no one is afraid.

Sunday’s call is just one part of the conversation we need to be having with our loved ones, our neighbors, and ourselves. We want you to be part of that conversation with us — to keep dreaming with us about a future where we are all liberated and can thrive.

In community and solidarity,

The Bend the Arc team

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Highlights from Looking to 2023 and Beyond:A National Bend the Arc Call

Below are some of our favorite quotes and learnings from the call — plus keep an eye out for short video clips next week as we celebrate Hanukkah:

Highlights from Looking to 2023 and Beyond:
A National Bend the Arc Call